Jesse Jackson, Andre Carson, Maxine Waters and Walter Fauntroy are the new face of black-on-black crime.

The term "black-on-black crime" was coined in the eighties to publicize shockingly disproportionate amounts of violent crimes perpetrated within the black community. Now, instead of Bloods and Crips, the new gang threatening black neighborhoods can be called the "Elite Liberal Libelers." With political power and acceptance, the ELL holds an even tighter grip on black America's throat.

The ELL's rhetorical drive-by shooting style wounds the spirit and kills hope and the notion that blacks can find equality and prosperity by their own toil and purpose.

These assaults on character and intelligence, unfortunately, come from within the trusted and intimate ranks of recognized black leaders.

The ELL essentially demands acceptance of life at the bottom, handicapping potential growth and progress, with no scruples finding a scapegoat or excuse. Like the neighborhood drug dealer, it appears they figure someone will make the money off poor kids. May as well be by one of their own.

Words can be deadlier than bullets. Whereas a bullet only claims a single victim, words can have infinite reach — infiltrating countless souls and minds.

Such ill-will also has generational consequences — undermining core beliefs and self-worth. Fatalism and despondency roll off ELL tongues from a poisonous well of lies, self-destruction and defeat that's deadlier than crack cocaine.

Reverend Walter Fauntroy: "We are going to take on the barbarism of war, the decadence of racism and the scourge of poverty that the Ku Klux… I mean to say the tea party… you have to use them interchangeably."

Reverend Jesse Jackson: "This is a Civil War struggle. Are you with the Union or are you with the states rights?... All of [the tea partiers] are for the 10th Amendment… That's the slave amendment."

Representative Andre Carson (D-IN) painted his bullet with silver, saying: "Some of these folks in Congress right now would love to see us as second-class citizens," he said. "Some of them in Congress right now with this tea party movement would love to see you and me… hanging on a tree."

If Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s words are "immortal words of unity," the ELL's are "mortal words of shame."

While the ELL claims to challenge the tea party, it is not the tea party that truly suffers. By scapegoating, the ELL erodes American spirit and humanity.

For everything Dr. King so graciously stood for — dignity, morality, "the high plane of discipline," light and love — the ELL lacks.

They promote hatred and despair, as if longing for inequality and gross racial injustice for validation. Their words lack comfort.

Despite the truth and light in the potential of today, the ELL spreads deception and gloom. Instead of rising above and making a difference towards purpose, the ELL suggests embracing big government and the social scraps barely allowing our community to get by.

Dr. King never wanted people to rise up only to bend down for such scraps. He aspired for a place at the table.

But the ELL seems fixated on pride, power and control.

While demonizing tea parties, the ELL idolizes a president whose policies are among the cruelest to blacks in decades, with black unemployment now topping 16 percent. It would seem Obama would rather take pictures with black children and have them sing songs for him (as happened in 2009 on CNN) than promote school vouchers for more accountable education.

The ELL apparently sees Obama's reign as a symbol of their entitlement to power and influence.

All this creates the worst and most destructive new era of black-on-black crime in our history. Never before have those who profess to advocate for black America seemingly gone so far to denigrate it in rhetoric, posture and policy. Obama, who was a symbol of racial unity and a new tone in Washington, bolsters the ELL.

Americans thought it was "a given" when Obama took office that he would call for racial unity. Now, it seems Obama's grip on power depends on making sure we don't get there any time soon. With ELL, the black community may never make it there.

Published by the National Center for Public Policy Research. Reprints
permitted provided source is credited. New Visions Commentaries reflect the views of their author, and not necessarily those of Project 21, other Project 21 members, or the National Center for Public Policy Research, its board or staff.